Howling In The Night | Night Cat #2

Howling In The Night - Chapter 16

Invitations and Interrogations

“Let me help you with that.”

I was pulled out of my reverie by the sound of a familiar voice. Smiling, I looked up to see Xander walking beside me at a matched pace. He had his hand on one of the heavy bags of groceries that I’d been lugging around for a few blocks.

“Thanks.” I handed him the bag gratefully and shifted the other bag until its weight was perfectly balanced in my arms. “My mom forgot a bunch of stuff when she went to the grocery store yesterday.” I started to explain, looking up into his smiling eyes.

“…So you had to go out and get the things she’d missed.” Xander grinned, filling in the blanks.

“Pretty much, yeah.” I nodded, sidestepping a small puddle of water. “What are you doing here, anyway?” I asked, looking around. His home was about three streets away and the grocery store and the library were in the center of town, so there was no real apparent reason for him to be there.

He shook his head in exasperation. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Not really. No.” I shook my head.

He sighed. “I was coming to see you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You’ve been avoiding me.”

I felt my eyes widen. “No, I haven’t!” I protested. “I was actually going to call you today.”

“Right.” He replied sarcastically, nodding.

“I was!” I cried in indignation. I hadn’t been lying. I had actually punched his number into my phone, and had been about to call him when my mother had sent me on her little errand. It wasn’t my fault that she had such bad timing. “I swear.”

“I believe you. I believe you.” He said sarcastically, trying – and failing – to mollify me.

“I’m serious, Xander. I was going to call.” I said in earnest, wanting him to believe me. “I have something important to talk to you about.”

“Oh, like the reason you skipped our study date last night.”

I came to a halt, mentally cursing myself. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten all about that.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry Xander!” I apologized. “Something came up and I—”

“Avery, Avery.” He interrupted my apology, placing his free hand on my shoulder and chuckling. “It’s okay. I was just coming over to ask you if you wanted to make up for the missed session, today. I’m not mad.”

I eyed his suspiciously as I turned left and walked up my driveway. “Are you sure…?”

“Of course. Though, you’re going to have to make it up to me.” He winked cheekily.

“Really? Like how?”

“Come over and study now.” He answered, pushing the front door open and nodding for me to go in first. “And then stay for dinner.”

I paused uncertainly after that last part. Stay for dinner? Xander had never invited me over to dinner before, so I was pretty nervous about that… and with the way his mom had acted the first time she met me, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that it was such a good idea.

Sensing the direction my thoughts were heading, Xander looked me in the eye and said, “She’ll be okay this time, Avery.” Still unsure, I set the grocery bag I’d been carrying down on the marble counter top.

“I don’t know, Xander…”

“Please.” He pleaded, taking a carton of eggs out of the grocery bag and placing it on the counter. “I promise it’ll be okay.”